ESPN: Sherrone Moore could face NCAA penalties related to Connor Stalions case, per NOA draft

ESPN is reporting that Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore could face NCAA penalties related to the Connor Stalions case, per the Notice of Allegations (NOA) draft.

Moore was Michigan’s offensive coordinator when the Stalions scandal broke and he later acted as the team’s interim head coach when then-head coach Jim Harbaugh was suspended by the Big Ten over the case.

In total, seven members of the 2023 Michigan staff are accused of violating NCAA rules, according to the NOA draft that ESPN obtained. That includes Jim Harbaugh, Chris Partridge, Denard Robinson, and Connor Stalions who are also accused of committing Level 1 violations. Notably, this is a draft of the allegations and not the final version of the allegations.

Sherrone Moore could face some stiff penalties from the NCAA for deleting a thread of 52 text messages between himself and Connor Stalions in October of 2023. That action came on the same day it was reported that Stalions was leading an effort to advance scout opponents and steal signs from them.

Among the penalties Moore could face are a show-cause penalty and possibly a suspension.

There is also a chance the NCAA considers Sherrone Moore to be a “repeat violator” because, in August of 2023, he negotiated a resolution to claims that he had been contacting recruits during a “dead period” for recruiting in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The text messages that Moore is accused of deleting were, according to the NOA draft, uncovered due to “device imaging” and he later provided them to enforcement staff.

The Michigan program also faces a Level 1 violation thanks to what the NCAA describes as a pattern of noncompliance within the football program. There are also accusations of institutional efforts to hinder the NCAA’s investigation.

Former coaches Jesse Minter and Steve Clinkscale are also accused of recruiting violations unrelated to the Connor Stalions investigation.

The scandal involved Stalions leading an effort to go to opponents’ games, scouting them in-person, and working to steal signs for playcalling purposes during that time. In the draft, the NCAA states that investigators used ticket information, film, photographs, and interviews to help determine just how extensive the scandal was. That included that Stalions impermissibly scouted at least 13 future opponents on at least 58 occasions between 2021 and 2023.

The draft, notably, also states that Stalions was on the sidelines for Michigan State‘s opener against Central Michigan in 2023. He had a bench pass and wore Central Michigan coaching gear as a disguise. However, it doesn’t say how he obtained the bench pass.

Partridge, who was fired by Michigan after the scandal broke, is also accused of pressuring a player to lie or mislead the NCAA. He also faces Level 2 violations for holding on-campus training sessions with prospects. Partridge, Clinkscale, and Robinson are all accused of providing impermissible benefits to recruits.

A Netflix documentary on the scandal “Sign Stealer” is set to be released at the end of August.